The present disclosure relates to streams of photographs (or “photos”) shared or otherwise accessed by users in an online service or community, for example, in a social network. In particular, the present disclosure relates to providing photograph streams (including those inter-mixed with videos and hybrid types (animated gifs, animated photo bursts, etc.)) to particular users within a social network that are filtered based at least in part on user social graphs or external signals generated with respect to individual photographs.
A social network or other online community provides an online platform that allows users to share ideas, activities, events, or interests within individual networks created by users including those with whom users may share affinity. In social networks, photographs are among the most engaging and long-lasting items that are shared by users. For example, a particular user's interest in postings by his or her friends on what they may have eaten for dinner is unlikely to last as long as an interest in photographs, which serve as memories, for example, taken at a birthday party. However, there is a continuous flow of photographs in social networks, many of which are of little interest to users; the overwhelming numbers making it difficult for users to view them all, much less appreciate a photograph of special interest that is easily lost in this continuous flow. Therefore, it would be beneficial to provide individual users with only those photographs that feature others in their social graph or are otherwise of special interest to them.